Round Table Part 2

I got together our crack team of NBA experts to break down some intriguing questions about the Bucks this season. As always if you have a question for our next Round Table tweet it at me (@junesfoshiz) using our hastag #CCCRoundtable. As always we bring in Gabe Stoltz, Quin Voet, and Alex Murphy to answer your questions!

1.) What is your Jason Kidd Opinion? Rank him in the league:

Gabe Stoltz: I don’t think Kidd as at the point where he can be rated as one of the best coaches in the league, but give it time. This man is the perfect mold for this young team. He knows what it takes to succeed and capture achievements in this league and he’s passing it to the young talent on this team. It frustrates me beyond reason when I hear fans complaining that the Bucks should fire him due to the poor start of the season. Are you joking? I can’t even bring myself to think that that’s a legitimate possibility. I believe Kidd is the perfect man to bring a championship back to Milwaukee. Granted his lineups are a bit head-scratching at times, but he does it to send a message to his players. His basketball IQ partnered with the young talent on the roster holds an ability of doing something very special here in Milwaukee.

Quin Voet: I think Jason Kidd is an excellent coach, if the patience and opportunity to improve a team is given. Look at what he did to the team last year going from last place the year before to the sixth seed of the playoffs. You cannot say he has had a positive influence on the team and organization. As far as league coaches go he is in that 15-20th tier.

Alex Murphy: Despite his many confusing lineups, substitutions, and defensive strategies, Jason Kidd has been a blessing for the Milwaukee Bucks organization. He has earned the trust and respect of the Milwaukee fanbase. At this point in the season, I consider Kidd to be somewhere in the top half of coaches in the league.

2.) Whats Giannis ceiling? Give a pro comparison.

QV: I believe Giannis has one of the highest ceiling of any young player in the league. He is only 21, and has all the physical tools to become an elite player if his shooting is improved. I cannot make a pro comparison because I think he’ll become a player of his own, good shooter or not.

GS: Giannis’ freakish ability fails to garnish an exact pro comparison, but if I were to provide my best option, I would say a very long and lengthy Kevin Durant. The way they extend to the hoop on baskets replicate each other very similarly. However, one thing that is missing in Giannis’ game that KD has mastered is an outside shot. Giannis is developing it over time, and as the years progress, we should see his shooting percentage rise. If he continues to progress, the Greek Freak can definitely mold into an All-Star.

AM: I simply cannot think of a comparison for the type of player that Giannis is becoming. His post game looks more refined this year, although he could use a little more touch. His jump shot, when taken with confidence, looks better. The one aspect of his game that has digressed is his aggressive finishing. I haven’t seen the mean face since his dunk over Nene in the second game of the year.If he can regain his aggressive finishing from last year, the sky is the limit for the do-everything Antetokounmpo

3.) Do the Bucks get an all star this if so who?

GS: At the beginning of the year, I was very optimistic that this would be the year where Milwaukee broke its streak of not having a representative at the All-Star Break. I was hopeful that Greg Monroe would be having the kind of year that could put him into position to represent the Bucks, but that hope feels to be fading as every game passes by. Not because Monroe hasn’t been putting up consistent numbers (he actually has reasonable stats) but the Bucks simply haven’t been a good enough team to qualify for any All-Stars. Monroe’s current position regarding qualification among being an All-Star reminded me of the Magic’s Nikola Vucevic last season as he tried becoming the final reserve for the Eastern Conference. I looked back to last season’s pre-All-Star Game stats to do some studying and saw that Vucevic averaged 19.6p and 11.3r. Monroe’s numbers this season have been below that. Add into the mix that the Eastern Conference has been stronger than advertised this season and you’re going to have to reward players who missed last year’s All-Star Game (Paul George, example No. 1). If the Bucks were in contention and playing well, I would guess that either Giannis or Monroe would have represented Milwaukee. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case and our All-Star drought will continue (for the 12th straight year). However, I feel it’s only a matter of time before the trio of Giannis, Jabari and Monroe are vying for All-Star spots.

QV: Currently and so far this season I do not think the Bucks will have player in the all-star game. A case can be made for Giannis and Monroe but players at their positions in the Eastern Conference have made more noise and played more impressively. Players such as Paul George, Andre Drummond, Lebron James, Kevin Love, Carmelo Anthony, and Hassan Whiteside. If I had to pick one Buck, my boy Johnny O’Bryant would go to Toronto.

AM: No the Bucks do not get an all star. Frankly, nobody has played well enough to earn an all star selection. If anyone does get selected, it will be Giannis, but simply because of his popularity amongst NBA fans.

4.) Throw out a trade that you think is realistic and helps the Bucks either now or in the future.

QV:A trade I would throw out that is gaining traction currently is for Caron Butler. Yes, the last time he was here it was horrible but that was a team with no intention of winning. I think the Bucks need a veteran leadership presence much like Jared Dudley last year and Butler would be a solid addition.

AM: A name that has been tossed around this year is Ryan Anderson. He is another liability on defense, and therefore would not pair well with Monroe. Anderson’s shooting would help this team space the floor. His contract is hefty and Milwaukee need to save all of the money they can in anticipation of locking up the young Bucks for the long term. If the front office decides to trade for the present, however, I think the addition of Anderson would be beneficial.

GS: Multiple sources are reporting that the Kings are planning to move Caron Butler in a deal in the near future. The Bucks are in dire need of veteran leadership on this team, and Butler provides just that. I don’t envision us giving away too much to bring him home (he was born and raised in Racine, WI), probably something like a Chris Copeland or that caliber of player. I don’t think the Bucks are looking to make a trade that vaults them up the Eastern Conference rankings and back into playoff contention, but rather a player that can provide the leadership that was provided by players such as Jared Dudley and Zaza Pachulia last season. That goes a far way on an NBA roster and the Bucks are realizing it to open up the year.

5.) Who is your favorite NBA player?

GS: I would say that I don’t really have a favorite NBA player. I’m a fan of the game. Coming into Milwaukee as a freshman student, I would have told anybody that I preferred the college game over the pro style. Immediately halfway into the year, my opinion changed sides. Pro basketball is just one of a kind. There’s so much that can happen on a night, whether it be a mesmerizing dunk, an incredible game winner, or something goofy like Lance Stephenson blowing in somebody’s ear, you never know what you’re going to get. The talent in the NBA is also what sets it above college for me. Go watch a pre-game shootaround. Count how many threes a player makes in a row. So far, for all the Bucks games I’ve gone to this year (which I’ve lost count of already), the lead dog is no other than Steph Curry, who hit 18 in a row prior to the Bucks’ upset over the Warriors on the 12th. I love going out two or so nights a week and watching the caliber of play that’s out on the court in person. I was so afraid we were going to lose that ability this summer when it seemed at times that the Bucks were going to be headed to Seattle. Thankfully the arena went through and the Bucks will be staying here for years to come, and we will all be able to watch the best basketball players on the planet in a new state-of-the-art arena. I would summarize it in a nutshell by saying that I am more of a fan of the game of basketball rather than having a favorite overall player.

QV: My favorite current and all-time favorite player is Vince Carter. In his prime the man was unstoppable and is considered one of the greatest shooters and dunkers of all time. If he did not get injured while he was on the Raptors along with his teammate and cousin Tracy McGrady getting traded, he would have been mentioned along with Kobe as one of this generation’s all-time greats. He and the Raptors would also have one or two championships as well.

AM: PG13. Paul George has been sensational since returning from his injury with team USA. In my opinion, he has the most aesthetically pleasing game in the NBA. George has been the only player to rival LeBron and give him a run for his money in the Eastern Conference since Dwight Howard. Throw an offensively capable center on Indiana right now, and I would not look past Paul George and his Pacers when it comes playoff time.

Thanks for reading if you have any questions, feel free to direct them to me or our general account (@CreamCityCtral)

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Alexander Juneau is a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a member of the staff at Cream City Central. Life long Bucks fan. Currently studying History and Political Science at UW-Madison. Just trying to enjoy the teams in this beautiful state.

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